My Vegan Story

I thought vegans were snobs, even though I’d never met one. I was 18, living in the midwest, where I grew up on meat and potatoes.

I heard about vegetarianism for awhile. I decided to try it just for kicks. Within a week, a piece of meat made it’s way into my mouth. Only this time was different.

At a birthday party we ordered appetizers. I reached automatically for a piece of pork and as soon as I starting chewing, a new awareness washed over me.

I could feel, for the first time, that this “food” was flesh. Pig flesh. And I did NOT want it in my mouth. Ever. Again. I put down the last bite of meat I ever had.

I moved to the west coast and stumbled upon John Robbins’ book Diet for a New America: How Your Food Choices Affect Your Health, Happiness and the Future of Life on Earth. Learning the realities of health, diet, and slaughterhouses unsettled me deeply. I didn’t want to be a part of animal abuse anymore.

I went vegan for one week just to try it. I had more energy and could hike without getting winded. My stuffy nose was clear. I felt lighter in body and spirit. I was doing something revolutionary, yet it was so easy! This was the life choice for me. I never missed any animal product, and I never looked back! That was over twenty years ago.

I worked at a retreat center in the California mountains as head chef. I insisted all meals be vegan. Cooking for groups of spiritual seekers was a beautiful thing for me. I got to feed their souls with fear-free foods while they retreated from harsh realities to look within. I developed my philosophy of mindful cooking during this time.

Nowadays I cook for my husband and myself, friends and family. My meals are loaded with nutrients, textures, and flavors. People delight in the food and a light always goes off in their heads – “hey this tastes great! I could eat like this all the time!”

Recipes for Compassion is my antidote to overcome apathy and intimidation. Veganism is one of the biggest blessings of my life and I want to share it with the world!

Where ever you are in YOUR vegan journey, I’m delighted you found your way here, and I thank you for your compassion. I dream of a vegan world, and every vegan meal is one step closer!

I’m in the final stages of publishing a gorgeous, 330-page, full color vegan cookbook and I’m so excited to share it with you! Please stay tuned for release date info, and in the meanwhile, follow the blog, Instagram, and Facebook pages for lots of free recipes and inspiration.

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Where are we… We are half way there. My husband and I choose vegan as much as we can. We’ve been slowly transforming our food so that our 3yo does not notice. We have never had an issue with meat. She understands why we don’t eat animals and does not want to eat animals of any kind. But she LOVES her milk, she LOVES her yogurt and she LOOOOOVES her cheese! And no use trying to sneak it passed her. She can taste the soy milk in pancake batter regardless of the maple syrup. 😛 Also, right now, we are lucky enough to have found a preschool that are okay with making vegetarian food for her, vegan would be very complicated. SO! We have a time stamp on it : When the kids are in school and we start having 100% control over all meals, We are hoping that when she gets a bit older, she’ll be able to understand why we want to make the switch. But we also always promised ourselves that our children would be able to make their own choices. The only thing we will not allow is meat. If they grow up and change their minds, they can have their meats elsewhere. But I think we are raising very mindful children that will want to preserve these values.

Congrats on getting your family to be more Vegan! You may want to check out this FB page, they’re very supportive of families on the path and answer all sorts of questions for along the way: https://www.facebook.com/RaisingAVeganChild. 🙂

I am 5 years into my vegan lifestyle. I too, have never missed eating any animal products and have never felt better. I quit eating animal products cold turkey, overnight after reading “Eating Animals”. By Jonathan Safran Foer. I did not know anything about veganism, but saw him on the Ellen show discussing the book and decided to read the book. It is the best decision I have made in my life!! So happy to be eating healthy, flavorful, fresh food and getting healthy check ups from my doctor in return. I have lost 3 immediate family members to cancer, and feel a healthy plant based diet can be the key to a long healthy life. Thanks for your information, I enjoy trying new recipes and food combinations 🙂

This is so good to hear! I love “meeting” all you Vegans online, it gives me so much hope for the future of our planet and humanity! It’s wonderful that Ellen is helping to bring Veganism into the mainstream. Keep up the compassionate living! ❤